Thrashers AHL prospects season review

By Holly Gunning

June 18th, 2005

MacKenzie is the most NHL

The Chicago Wolves made their fifth visit to the AHL/IHLfinals in eight years, but were swept by the Philadelphia Phantoms. Thefour consecutive losses were just the second time the entire season Chicagodropped four straight, the first time was way back in November.

Twelve Atlanta Thrashers prospects spent timewith the Wolves this season. Below is a review of their seasons.

Defensemen

The Wolves finished first in the league ondefense, holding opponents to just 1.78 goals per game. Game 4 was theonly time they allowed more than three goals during the playoffs.

Braydon Coburn – Coburn joined the Wolveswith just three games left at the endof the regular season, but ended up getting in another quarter season’s worth ofgames as the team lasted until the finals. Coburn slid easily into theline-up alongside defensive partner 27-year-old Joe Corvo. He saw a bit oftime on special teams, more as the playoffs went on. The smooth skating6’5 blueliner plays a solid, effective game. He has the skill tocontribute offensively, but needs to feel like his own end is taken care ofbefore he’ll demonstrate it.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

3

0

1

1

.33

-1

5

7

2004-05 playoffs

18

0

1

1

.06

+1

36

16

Brian Sipotz – It was a very long seasonfor Sipotz, playing 93 total games, compared to a college high of 36 lastseason. While he had just 11 points, it was a veritable offensiveexplosion for the 6’6 blueliner, whose career high was three points as asenior. His penalty minutes were remarkably low for any defenseman, letalone a stay-at-homer his size, however, with just 31 in the regular season and six inthe playoffs. Sipotz had the best plus/minus amongst Thrashers prospects duringthe regular season at +6. He played on the third pairing with Tim Wedderburn for a good part ofthe year and into the playoffs. His contribution to the team was betterthan expected for a rookie, but he has more work to do to refine his game beforethe thought of time with the big club. He’s started to look for outlets ratherthan chipping the puck out, but his stickhandling remains far below NHLstandards.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

75

2

6

8

.11

+6

31

64

2004-05 playoffs

18

1

2

3

.17

+3

6

17

Paul Flache – Flache finished the regularseason third in points amongst defensemen who were with the club all season,with 15. Paired with Kyle Rossiter and playing on both special teams, he lost hisroster spot when the teamgained Joe Corvo and Braydon Coburn and did not see time in the playoffs.The 23-year-old will be looking for a new contract this summer and his solid seasonshould build a good case.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

61

3

12

15

.25

+4

172

57

2004-05 playoffs

0

0

0

0

—

0

0

0

Forwards

Derek MacKenzie — MacKenzie did notscore at the clip he did last year during the regular season, going from .56points per game in 2003-04 to .42 points per game in 2004-05. During thisregular season MacKenzie was a key player on the penalty kill had six shorthanded goals.At even strength, he played mostly with Karl Stewart and Brad Larsen. MacKenziedid once again step hisgame in the playoffs. He had the best plus/minus on the team during theplayoffs, and was tied for second on the team with five goals. His energylevel was a model for the rest of the team to follow. MacKenzie is the most NHL-ready ofthe Thrashers forward prospects who played in Chicago, and will likely get anopportunity again this season.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

78

13

20

33

.42

+5

87

178

2004-05 playoffs

18

5

6

11

.61

+10

33

34

Karl Stewart — While MacKenzie’soffensive production slipped a bit, Stewart managed to cut his nearly in half,going from .58 points per game in 2003-04 to only .31 points per game in2004-05. He did pull his plus/minus up in the later part of the season tofinish at +1. It had been worst on the team in late January. Stewart tooka career-high 226 penalty minutes this year, an astonishing number for a playerwho isn’t an enforcer. He finished the season second in the league in minorpenalties with 68, behind only Darryl Bootland of Grand Rapids.Many ofStewart’s penalties were the selfish variety, a case in point being aboarding penalty that lead directly to the fourth and most devastating Phantoms goal in Game 4 of the finals. Such penalties will not endear him to any NHL coaches.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

77

16

8

24

.31

+1

226

102

2004-05 playoffs

12

4

2

6

.50

+4

32

9

Stephen Baby – Though somewhat improved inskating and puckhandling, Baby went from .38 points per game last season withthe Wolves to just .14 this year. Baby did have twogame-winning goals during the regular season, from the fourth line. He replacedStewart in the line-up in the playoffs when Stewart missed time due toconcussion-like symptoms. Baby was the only player on the team who ended the playoffs with anegative plus/minus at -1, playing six games. Baby’s lack of development willkeep the 25-year-old out of contention for an NHL roster spot.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

64

6

3

9

.14

-2

115

67

2004-05 playoffs

6

0

0

0

.00

-1

0

8

Colin Stuart – A rookie out of Colorado College, Stuartdid not see much ice time with the Wolves this season. Including the fivegames he spent with the Gwinnett Gladiators in January, his 44 total gamesplayed just barely exceeded his totals in college. He did not see any time in theplayoffs. The smart defensive forward will almost certainly see increasedtime next season.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

39

3

2

5

.13

-3

12

48

2004-05 playoffs

0

0

0

0

—

0

0

0

Kevin Doell – Doell managed 12 points in45 games with the Wolves before breaking his jaw. When he returned frominjury, he was sent down to the ECHL where he had 15 points in 14 games.He finished the season with the Gladiators, and though he was recalled back toChicago when Gwinnett’s playoff run was over, he did not see further playingtime with the Wolves. Doell turns 26 next month. Not talented enough to be a finesse player at higher levels, he’s also not big enough to be an effective checker.

GP

G

A

PTS

PPG

+/-

PIM

Shots

2004-05 season

45

4

8

12

.27

-2

69

64

2004-05 playoffs

0

0

0

0

—

0

0

0

Goaltenders

Kari Lehtonen – Lehtonen ended the regularseason fifth in minutes played with 3378. He improved his numbers slightlyfrom last season, a .929 save percentage compared to .927, and a 2.27goals-against versus a 2.41 last season. While he didn’t start the seasonwith a quality defense in front of him, it did improve with the additions of TimWedderburn, Joe Corvo, Jay Bouwmeester and Braydon Coburn. Only twodefensemen who played in the playoffs started the season with the club: TravisRoche and Brian Sipotz. Lehtonen raised his game in theplayoffs, with two shutouts and a .939 save percentage.

GP

MIN

W

L

SOL

SO

GAA

SV%

2004-05 season

57

3378

38

17

2

5

2.27

.929

2004-05 playoffs

16

982

10

6

—

2

1.71

.939

Michael Garnett – Garnett got 24 games induring the regular season. He was sent toGwinnett to get some playing time in the fall, but did not play after a groinstrain was diagnosed. Garnett was better in the second half of theseason for the Wolves, and relieved Lehtonen when he suffered his own groin strain in the playoffs. Garnett was clutch when called upon,winning both games. The 22-year-old will need to negotiate his next contract thissummer.

GP

MIN

W

L

SOL

SO

GAA

SV%

2004-05 season

24

1324

11

9

0

1

2.86

.911

2004-05 playoffs

2

119

2

0

—

0

1.51

.957

Defenseman Jeff Dwyer did not play in thesecond half, nor in the playoffs. He has one year remaining on hiscontract. Defenseman Libor Ustrnul played 27 games with the Wolvesbefore finishing his season with the Gwinnett Gladiators. His contractconcluded this season.

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